Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on first-visit patients with oesophageal cancer in the first infection wave in Saitama prefecture near Tokyo: a single-centre retrospective study.

Patients may have refrained from consultation during the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The resultant delay in diagnosis may have led to an increase in the number of patients who were not indicated for radical treatment, as well as a decrease in the number of those who underwent definitive chemoradiotherapy. Our findings highlight the need to maintain the health care system and raise awareness on the importance of consultation.